Bracket for mounting a display screen

ABSTRACT

A bracket having legs to engage a wall or other substantially vertical surface with jaws intermediate the legs which grip a map rail on a blackboard or any protrusion such as moldings that project from a wall surface including means to provide a rigid base for mounting a screen or similar visual display.

[Inited States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,299,003 4/1919 Morris et al. 248/226X 1,913,082 6/1933 Keagle 248/316X 2,461,190 2/1949 Wolff 248/180 3,421,272 1/1969 Jamar 248/316)( Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Frank Domotor Attorney-Barlow and Barlow ABSTRACT: A bracket having legs to engage a wall or other substantially vertical surface with jaws intermediate the legs which grip a map rail on a blackboard or any protrusion such as moldings that project from a wall surface including means to provide a rigid base for mounting a screen or similar visual display.

BRACKET FOR MOUNTING A DISPLAY SCREEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Visual display means including screens for projecting pictures are often difficult to mount on a masonry wall because of borings necessary to do so, and in manycases such mountings are beyond the possibilities of a teacher and require some extra contractor with consequent added expense. In many cases of overhead projecting, it is desirable to incline a flat screen to eliminate keystoning and further, there often is insufficient clearance above a blackboard to accommodate some screens, such as made in accordance with US. Pat. No. 3,213,925, and an inclined mount is the only satisfactory solution. However, in most all schools there is a map rail often in conjunction with a blackboard for the hanging of maps thereon, and this invention makesuse of this map rail for mounting a display screen, or may make use of any structural means that protrudes from and is securely mounted to a wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A bracket, having a base of such a character that it may have mounted thereon a display screen, is equipped with legs extending rearwardly from the base to engage the wall at the top and bottom of the bracket, while intermediate the bracket and between the legs there are provided jaws which may close upon a map rail or some similar protruding structural member to tightly grip the same and hold the bracket in place while the legs may be adjusted to incline the base at such angle as may be desired. Further by reason of the support at the top and bottom of the bracket and'also atthe point of engagement with the rail, a rigid three-point support is providedwhich lends rigidity to the base. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a perspective view illustrating one use of the invention in a room with a blackboard and map rail, the'screen'of this invention being mounted on the bracket of this invention supported by the map rail;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation 'of the base of the bracket;

HO. 3 is a sectional view through substantially the center of the bracket; 1

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the means forcontracting the aws;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the jaws in contracted position and fragmentally showing the base;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the method of interlocking the jaw contracting means; and v FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of jaw.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a schoolroom having a sidewall 10 with another sidewall 11 and an overhead ceiling 12. The door is illustrated v at 13 which has a projecting molding frame 14 or structural means extending outwardly beyond the door. On the sidewall 10 there is a blackboard 15 which has a map rail 16 extending horizontally along the top of the blackboard. This rail is T- shaped in cross section providing groovesl7 at the upper edge and 18 at the lower edge with a front face 19. This is" one form of rail and although rails may differ in cross section, they usually have a flange or T-shaped head, for example as shown in FIG. 5.

The bracket of this invention is designated generally 20 and is provided with a base 21 from which legs 22 at one end and 23 at the other end project rearwardly. If the legs are separate parts, as shown, they may be secured to the base in any suitable manner as by rivets. These legs are each turned inwardly at their ends providing a flange 24 to which. there is welded a nut 25 for the reception of the screw 26 which may be threaded through the nut and lip 24 and adjusted by turning by means of the slot 27 so as to effectively extend or contract the leg as desired for an appropriate engagement with the wall such as 10 or the wall and blackboard .10 and 15 to provide the desired angularity desired for the screen 30 which is to be attached to the base 21.

Intermediate. the legs 22 and 23 there are a pair of jaws generally designated 31 formed from a U-shaped sheet metal section consisting of a connecting bridge 32 with jaws 33 extending rearwardly from this bridge 32. This bridge is secured to the. base 21 in any suitable manner and is usually located at one side of a midpoint between the legs 22 and 23. A contracting member designated generally 35 is provided for the jaws and consists of arms 36 bent from an intermediate portion 37,

the arms being notched as at 38. The jaws 33 are each slotted as at 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) to receive the ends of arms 36 (FIG. 6) which arms are rotated from the position of FIG. 6 so that the notches 38 engage the slot 34 to have sliding engagement with the jaws. A nut designated generally 40 is provided with a threaded opening 41 and engages the portion 37 which fits between the flanges 42 of the nut, while a screw 45 engages the threads of the opening 41 and has a head 46 slotted as at 47 which extends through the bridge 32 being received in a chamfered hole therein. The screw 45 and also the base 21 may be rotated to move the nut lengthwise along the screw 45 drawing the jaws 33 inwardly. By a movement of the jaws inwardly, contraction is provided, and each of these jaws is provided with lips 48 which may be toothed at their edge as at 48 (FIG. 7) so as to provide a good grip on the T-shaped map rail or a molding such as 14 over a dooras may be desired. In some cases the map rail may be a-channel-shape construction such as shown at 50 in FIG. 5 with outwardly extending lips 51 or flanges with which the inturned portions 48 may engage. In FIG. 5 the jaws are shown contracted into engagement with the rail 50 that protrudes from the wall 10.

In operation the legs 22 and 23 and screws 26 in each of them will be adjusted so as to provide the desired angularity which the screen 30 is to have and which will be consistent with a length enabling the jaws to grip the rail 16 or 50. The bracket will-then be placed against the wall and the screw 45 turned to contract the jaws under the rail, the adjustment being such that possibly some little pressure may be utilized on the face of the bracket urging the jaws toward the rail, thus providing a good three-point contact between the legs of the opposite end and the jaws intermediate which grip the rail to insure rigidity through this three-point contact of the bracket when in position. Any suitable means may be utilized for mounting the screen 30 on the bracket after it is in place and angled as desired.

1. A bracket for mounting a display screen by attachment to a structural means protruding from its support comprising a base for receiving a screen, legs protruding rearwardly from said base adjacent its opposite upper and lower ends, jaws intermediate the legs secured to and also protruding rearwardly of the base to contract said jaws on a rail to grip the same and wherein each leg carries means to adjust its effective length to urge the ends of the base in one direction and effectively urge in the other direction an intermediate part of the base which 

1. A bracket for mounting a display screen by attachment to a structural means protruding from its support comprising a base for receiving a screen, legs protruding rearwardly from said base adjacent its opposite upper and lower ends, jaws intermediate the legs secured to and also protruding rearwardly from said base and of a length shorter than said legs for engaging said structural means and means operable from the front of the base to contract said jaws on a rail to grip the same and wherein each leg carries means to adjust its effective length to urgE the ends of the base in one direction and effectively urge in the other direction an intermediate part of the base which the jaws hold to thereby hold the base rigid by an effective three-point support.
 2. A bracket as in claim 1 wherein the means carried by each leg is a screw adjustable lengthwise of the leg.
 3. A bracket as in claim 1 wherein the jaws are located nearer one leg than the other.
 4. A bracket as in claim 1 wherein the means for operating the jaws comprises a screw having a head accessible and rotatable from the front of the base. 